Redoctober

Hi @PolicySucks we looked very closely at BO and although there wasn't anything wrong with them we decided not to go with them for the following reasons. Outside of about a 100 mile radius from the HQ [which were are] we would have incurred a work force levy, which ran into the £1,000s. More importantly though, we found the oak frame to be too restrictive internally. By that I mean, we found a lot of space was either lost or compromised due to the oak frame. Finally, we just found that the particular house type we would have gone for / could afford was a bit too small for us and we could afford more for less by designing a house along similar lines, including the porch!

+1 to welcoming you to the forum. Really good to get someone new to the forum who is not only willing to contribute but has the depth of knowledge you have. Hold on tight though it can be a bit choppy out there !! ?

Our builders use an electric mixer, powered by mains electricity supplied from a temp power supply in our car port. No issues encountered and I have seen then bundle a few stones into it at the end of the day, with a good splash of water, to clean it out.

Pleased it is going well for you - the upstairs UFH set up is interesting. What goes in under the spreader plates and above the first floor ceiling?

Happy days indeed. Enjoy every moment as in no time it will have gone and there will be other things to excite and frustrate in equal measure.

@Cpd we have gone with Lindlab - a precoated galvanized steel product. One section has already had to be replaced as it proved not to be "scaffolder" proof after he decided to swing a long pole into it when dismantling the scaffold!! ?

I did the "loose fit" insulation and I suppose it took me 5 - 6 days - a steady pace with plenty of tea breaks ! The plaster boarding upstairs took two guys probably two weeks [10 - 12 days maybe] and they have managed the downstairs in a week due to the nature of the rooms - fewer angles and corners than upstairs I suppose.

Ha - relax and enjoy the glass of red. Well spotted mind. Yes it is a movement joint which is necessary I am informed. We had discussions about these and they have been positioned in certain places for a reason. The one you have identified will be "hidden" from view by an oak frame porch which will hopefully be erected and attached mid Sept. The ones at the rear ties in with a down pipe an the others have been positioned in corners as to disguise them better.

No trick of the light - the blue plaster boards have sound proofing qualities - they certainly have something as they weigh 6kg more than the standard white boards. The blue ones have been used for the ceilings and partition walls. The standard white ones for everywhere else. Not something we stipulated - it was supplied by the TF manufacturer.

Hi all - a few photos showing the house 95% plaster boarded and some plastering started. Just the cloakroom and plant room off the utility room to complete. Somewhat frustratingly, we will have to wait a full week before the plasterer returns, which holds up the decorating and second fix joinery. The ceilings for the first floor have had two layers of plaster boards fitted, which helps with sound proofing. Whilst this has been going on, the stone ,an and his labourer have really cracked on and finished the front of the house. The stone has been taken up to just above head height around the rest of the house. they just need to build up from there and to do the external chimney. The kitchen fitter came out to do final measurements and noted that the external waste pipe in the utility room was a bit snug to allow both the washing machine and tumble dryer to fit in, so has recommended a breakfast bar type work top which is 665mm as opposed to 600mm deep. This will allow sufficient room at the back for the appliances and removes the hassle of having to adjust the pipework / drainage. The next phase will see the plastering completed and the second fixes started. Outside I hope to see the house fully stoned and the chimney started. We'll see.

+1 with what has been said already - on top of that, second time round, I would make sure there is sufficient "good ground" from the footprint of the house to set the scaffolding. It was only when the frame went up that we realised the scaffolding was put too close and the reason given was that there was insufficient ground cleared for them to do so. Also, I would supply them with plans and measurements of the house, as another issue we had was that they put the top lift above the roof line, causing difficulties !!

Exactly, it was these types of hidden costs that nearly caught us out. It was only because we had a meeting with the TF supplier, a few weeks beforehand, that these aspects were fully understood as up until then, I mistakenly thought the stuff they were supplying was being fitted...............but no !

WOW - a great looking house and I shall look forward to seeing this unfold - good luck.

Looking to be a great project - good luck with it all.

I agree with all of the above - our erection costs were slightly increased after I established it didn't initially include the fascias and soffits. So once that was included, together with crane hire and the fixing of sarking boards we paid in the region of £46 per square metre.

@ProDave looks like the issue may not be as first feared. Fingers crossed that is the case. However, We have such timbers [may even be C24, I don't know for sure] on our fascias, soffits and gable ends etc. It has been suggested that I should start to stain / paint them, so I started with a preservative primer today. Is that really necessary given the above or is it a case of " can't do any harm etc. We do intend to paint them once we have agreed on a colour and the next step with be an undercoat. As ever, I welcome your thoughts.

We have just plaster boarded our first floor and used 3 types of board - Standard boards for the ceiling and external walls - boards with sound proofing properties for the internal partition walls and then moisture resistant boards for the bathroom and en-suite. Interestingly the sound proof boards weigh in at 6 kilos heavier than the standard ones.

Sorry forgot to mention - you will be able to get that scaffolding out won't you ?? ?

Ha ha @Mr Punter - Yes, I agree with both you and @Stones regarding the Heras fencing. In the short term it will help educate / discourage passing traffic to not park on the open and inviting verge. Long term a hedge / fence, planters or some nice over sized rocks may assist. @recoveringacademic messy? I'll leave others to comment but you may finds the answer via my blog ! ?

Our window suppliers provided me with a sticky cling film type of product. They kindly left me with a large roll of it which allowed me to replace battered coverings with new ones. Sadly I don't know the name of it or how readily available it is! ?

Here is a photo - the cables all stem from the ceiling space and hang down.

OK, the Electrician has finished the first fix and the plaster boards are being installed. We have noticed that in two of the bedrooms, the location of the sockets for the bedside cabinets are incorrectly positioned. Ideally they should be a further 200mm apart. How easy it this to rectify? Is it a simple case of removing the plaster board panel to expose the cable behind and moving said cable across? What if there isn't sufficient slack in the cable to move across 200mm? Hope this makes sense and I would welcome your thoughts.

Interesting.... ours is horizontal - and we are in the Scottish Borders.

Hi @newhome the budget........... so many variables can be included but if I just include everything that has got me to this position thus far, stripping out all the professional fees, services and the cost of the land, we are currently at £1220 p.s.m. It does include such things as skip hire, toilet hire and electric meter cupboard, amongst other stuff!!!

Yes, now that the first fix has been completed, the plaster boarding has started with the upstairs being done first. The builders will move downstairs an a weeks time or so. Whilst they have been boarding out, I have been installing the insulation for the partition walls, loft space and ceilings downstairs. The insulation being used in the loft space is 140mm - two layers laid at right angles to each other if that makes sense. The insulation used for the partitions is 100mm and the plasterboard for these walls has sound proofing properties, weighing in at 6 kilos more than the standard boards. You will see from some photos that we have also managed to install two full length oak beams. One for the sitting room and the other for the kitchen/family room. They look great even if I say so myself. They are not structural just aesthetic. Outside, the stone mason and labourer have been cracking on with the stone work. They intend to get the house done at head height before moving up as additional scaffolding will be required. They start the back of the house later this week. Enjoy the photos and I will be back in a couple of weeks, hopefully with a full boarded out house. Thanks for reading.